Dr Kelvin Yii (Bandar Kuching-PH) says a payroll-funded social health insurance scheme with 5% employee and 5% employer contributions can add RM15 billion to RM17 billion annually to health care spending.
Nurul Izzah Anwar says the working level for the Health White Paper included advocates for hybrid social health insurance to streamline public and private health care services, amid escalating health care costs. "How do you get the best of both worlds?"
MMA urges insurance companies to allow claims for simple procedures at private GP and specialist clinics like trigger finger and abdominal scans to reduce cost and decongest hospitals. GPs also act as health educators and chronic care managers.
A well-regulated private health insurance sector will enable the government to plan ahead for the supplementary role of the industry, and be better prepared to ensure that its coverage will complement the public health care system.
Dr Jemilah Mahmood says the cost of decanting patients to the private sector was “high” under the now-disbanded GKVSTF, when Covid-19 cases peaked during last year’s Delta wave.
AIA's free Covid-19 hospital income cover provides children and expecting mothers a sum of up to RM150 per day for a maximum of 14 days, if they are diagnosed with Covid-19 and require hospitalisation.